March 01, 2015

There have been so many viewer requests, sending in photos and asking for us to create a tutorial for this Twisted Edge Fishtail hairstyle. This isn’t a new technique, as it was inspired by my great friend at Princess Hairstyles late last year.

We love the braid so much, that we decided to develop a braid combo with it including an option for a beautiful updo! {Yes, its almost Prom season and everyone soon will be looking for Prom hairstyles!}

The stitching for this braid can be confusing, so pay careful attention to its pattern. Once you get it down, particularly on the edges, this braid is a cinch! The twisting comes in as you switch strands on the outer edges. Watch the video below and it will give you the best idea of what we are talking about…

Because this braid is so tight, it’s perfect for cheer, dance, and any other sports, etc. The bun version is perfect for ballet, Homecoming, Prom, gymnastics, or to simply dress up your day. We LOVE them both!

To see your own photo recreations of this style featured in our CGH app, feel free to tag your photos on IG with: #CGHTwistedEdgeFishtail

Thanks also to everyone who attended out meet-up at the PS from Aero store in Dallas yesterday, despite the icy roads! For those of you who couldn’t attend, you can still get 20% off your purchase by using coupon code CuteHair! We will be doing more meet-ups soon, so stay tuned!

Happy Hairstyling!

This week, Brooklyn and Bailey posted their February Favorites. Have you seen it yet? If not, feel free to click below… what are your current favorites?

December 28, 2014

When we started playing around with this hairstyle, it totally seemed like something a viking princess would’ve worn, hence the name we gave it. It also as a cute modern boho look that is fits right in with styles that are becoming popular today!

For this tutorial, we only created the braid on one side, simply to accent the fluffy ponytail. You could do this on both sides for an even more “viking” look. We began the hairstyle with 2nd-day curls as a base, only because we didn’t want a fully curled and defined look. We wanted the hairstyle to still have volume, but not over the top. The rest of the steps are super easy to follow.

I can see girls of all ages wearing this braid and ponytail, especially for girls in sports. It is just another cute way to spice up a simple ponytail.

To see your own photo recreations featured in our CGH app, please feel free to tag your own photos of this hairstyle on IG with: #CGHVikingBraid

If you can’t tell, Brooklyn loves hairstyles like this one. She says it is because they aren’t super girly, which suits her personality to a “T”. She’s worn this look a bunch lately, with lots of compliments, so she volunteered to be our model today.

Part the hair from just above the left temple, straight back 4-5 inches, and flip the remaining hair over the head and secure out of the way for now…

Next, separate out a few small strands to frame the face {these can be curled later}…

At the front of the newly parted section, above the left ear, take a small section of hair and begin a normal 3-Strand Dutch Braid.

Continue adding in hair as you move back {you want the braid to follow the hairline in a slightly downward angle}…

Continue the braid down until you reach the rear corner of the head {behind the left ear}…

While holding the braided strands in your one hand, use the other to pancake the elbows of the Dutch Braid {by gently tugging out the braid edges}, making sure the braid looks nice and full…

Continue with the braid in a Simple 3-Strand Braid…

When you have about 2-3 inches left of hair, go ahead and also pancake the elbows of the simple braid, making sure it is nice and full as well…

Secure the braid with a hair elastic…

Using a comb, tease a few of the top sections of hair near the crown to add a little pump and volume to the hair…

Smooth out any teasing bumps with your rat-tail comb…

Gather the non-braided hair into a fluffy ponytail just below the crown of head {make sure you do not pull so tight that you lose the volume near the top of head}…

Add the braid into the ponytail,and secure with a ponytail holder…

Hide the ponytail holder by taking a small strand of hair from the underside side of the ponytail and wrap it around the elastic a few times…

Use a bobby pin to secure the hair wrap in place, then add hairspray and accessory {if desired}.

Be sure to leave a comment below with what you think about this Viking Braid Ponytail, and we will see you next week!

Happy Hairstyling!

Be sure to click HERE to enter BrooklynAndBailey’s HUGE iPad Mini Giveaway! They appreciate all the viewers who watch their videos, and wanted to give back by gifting 1 iPad Mini to 4 lucky viewers! {The contest is open internationally, will end on 1/6/15 at 11:59pm, and all details/rules are in the link.} Here is their latest video, a Q &A along with the giveaway announcement…

December 21, 2014

I’ve been receiving requests on FB, Twitter, email, etc, for today’s hairstyle from viewers everywhere. It’s likely been our most requested hairstyle to date! {You’ll understand why if you’ve seen the many photos of this style floating around on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.}

Today, we will be showing you how to create a Messy Split Fishtail Braid! There is nothing super new or special about the Split Fishtail, as the braid itself is exactly the same as our Box Fishtail from last year. It’s the braiding technique we will show you today, however, and the final look, that’s different.

For a cute final look, simply pancake only the underside and you’ll end up with a very beautiful braid look similar to our Stacked Braid tutorial from a few years back! This one has much more of a messy look to it, which I love!

To see your own photo recreations featured in our CGH App, feel free to tag your own photos of this hairstyle on IG with: #CGHMessySplitFishtail

As always, any fishtail braid will take you a while to complete. This one not super difficult, which is why we are categorizing it as “Easy”, but do plan on spending about 8-10 minutes on the braid.

Be sure to pull out any small strands you want left out of the braid to frame the face…

Pull the rest of the hair back into one side ponytail, just behind the ear, and secure with an elastic {the elastic is temporary and optional, as it helps me keep the braid tight to begin with, but you do not have to use use it}…

Split the ponytail into two equal sections…

Take a small amount of hair off the outside edge of the right section and divide it into two pieces…

Next, take the top strand over that larger right section, and the other small strand under the larger right section, and combine both those smaller strands into the left large section…

Take a small amount of hair off the outside edge of the left section and divide it into two pieces…

Next, take the top strand over that larger left section, and the other small strand under the larger left section, and combine both those smaller strands into the right large section…

Continue Steps #5-8 until you have 3-4 inches of hair remaining in the braid {the braid you have just created looks like a fishtail from all four sides, just like the Box Fishtail tutorial we taught you a year ago {braid is the same, but the technique is different}…

Now gently tug on the outside edges, or elbows of the BOTTOM braid only, all the way up to the top of the braid {this ends up giving you a Stacked Fishtail braid look, with the bottom half being messy}…

Add hairspray or accessory {if desired}.

Hope you enjoyed this Messy Split Fishtail hairstyle tutorial! Are you a fan of fishtail braids? If so, please leave a comment below!

Happy Hairdoing!

My girls uploaded two videos this past week, and DIY Friend Christmas Gift tutorial, and a Christmas BONUS VIDEO! Both are on their BrooklynAndBailey YouTube channel. To watch them both, click below!

December 14, 2014

This week’s tutorial uses a Lace Braid, only instead of adding hair only into the top, as we’ve shown you in several tutorials, you only add hair into the bottom!

The effect that this braid gives you is a “faux waterfall braid” look, only no hair actually falls through the braid. I’ve been creating Lace Braids in hair for nearly 10 years now, and never thought to pull hair in only from the bottom side!

To see your own photo recreations featured in our CGH app, feel free to tag your own photos of this hairstyle on IG with: #CGHUpwardLaceBraid

I think this braid looks the best brought back into a tieback, however you can continue this braid around the back of the head and secured just above the other ear, covering the end with hair from that side.

This braid technique works on curly hair, wavy hair, straight hair, wet hair, dry hair, Day 2 hair, etc. Really, you can use it to accent pretty much any style combination!

Begin with straight hair {but this can work on short, long, wet, dry, curly, or straight hair, too}…

Part hair slightly off to one side…

Pick up a small section near the temple and begin one stitch of a regular 3-strand braid…

When you go to move the bottom piece again in the 2nd stitch, add in some hair only to the bottom piece {try to pick up hair that lays underneath the top layer of hair… when you do this, it will create a pull to the hair that lays in a diagonal direction upward into the braid giving a waterfall braid-like look}…

Everytime you to to move the bottom strand of hair in the braid, add in some more hair {only from the bottom}…

Repeat this stitching until you reach halfway around the head…

Finish with a few stitched of a regular braid, and then secure with an elastic for now…

Now, moving to the other side, create another upward Lace Braid, using the same technique as before in Steps #3-6…

Secure the two braids together in the back of the head with an elastic, and add hairspray and accessory {if desired}.

*Optional: You may also continue the braid all the way around the head and secure near the opposite temple using some bobby pins or you can use the ends of the braid, pancaking only one side, rolling it up, and creating a rosette/flower shape and pin into place.

At the end of this video, we share with you something that we felt honored to be a part of. We were asked by the Radiant Foundation, an inter-faith Christian group, to take part in what would become the largest Live Nativity ever held {certified by the Guinness Book of World Records}.

This is the largest collab of its kind, ever, on YouTube, with over 30 other YouTubers, talented musicians, and their families, who volunteered over 10,000 hours over six weeks to the project! Try and see if you can spot each one of us, as well as your favorite YouTube stars!

The purpose of this Nativity video is to share with you the true meaning of Christmas, our Savior Jesus Christ. It isn’t about money, gifts, nor treats. No matter your faith, we hope you will hold your family a little closer at this time of year, loving and selflessly serving others. #ShareTheGift

You can download the MP3 “Angels from the Realms of Glory” (mixed with “Angels We Have Heard On High”) FREE!

December 07, 2014

Sony Pictures’ remake of Annie is set to release in US theaters on Dec 19th! I love how the movie is given a modern and updated take on the classic film, with music that is just as catchy as the first!

Annie has always been a family favorite in our home, and I absolutely LOVE the character of Miss Hannigan in the original, played by Carol Burnett! Her song “Little Girls” is so symbolic of how we’ve felt for years in our home, with 5 little girls running around!

Some women are dripping with diamonds, Some women are dripping with pearls, Lucky me! Lucky me! Look at what I’m dripping with… LITTLE GIRLS!

Now that we have adopted Daxton & Paisley, the movie Annie means even that much more to us! Adoption has been such blessing to us in our home. We are happy that in the new movie and soundtrack, the’ve removed the references to “orphans” in favor of “foster kids”.

In this remake, the very first time we saw the trailer, I noticed Cameron Diaz {who reprises the role of Miss Hannigan} wears some amazing braided hairstyles! This Double Frenchbacks hairstyle is one that we see the most in the trailer, and is what we will be showing you how to create today.

To see your own photo recreations featured in our CGH App, feel free to tag your own photos of this hairstyle on IG with: #CGHDblFrenchbacks

We’ve shown you a tutorial for a Single Frenchback on Rylan from way back in 2012. This double version uses smaller sections, and a much tighter stitching, which gives an amazingly-beautiful accent to either straight or curly hair!

Begin by sectioning of a rectangular section of hair right between the two eyebrows, to the crown of the head…

Now divide that section in half right up the middle, leaving you with two equal-but-thin rectangular sections of hair…

Clip one of those sections out of the way with an alligator clip, and use the other clip on the opposite side of the hair {not the to-be-braided section, but the remaining hair} to keep it from accidentally being added into the braid…

Now begin a regular French braid on your first section, making sure to begin the stitching with thin strands, adding in little pieces into the braid as you go so that the braid defines immediately near the forehead {if you use too large of strands, the stitching will not be seen until half way back}…

When you run out of hair to add into that section, continue on with a regular braid and add an elastic to keep the hair from unbraiding…

Go back and unclip the remaining section, and French braid is just as in Step #4…

This time, when you get to the end of the braid, combine both braids together…

You can use a barrette here, to secure the braids, as Cameron Diaz has in the movie, or you can cross 2-3 bobby pins as an alternate way to secure…

Now remove the elastic from your first braid and unravel it…

Gently back-comb right at the base of the remaining hair from the braids, and allow the hair and waves to fall naturally, adding a bit of volume to the crown and back of the head…

Add hairspray {if desired}.

Hope you enjoyed this DIY Double Frenchbacks hairstyle tutorial! Now that you know that Annie is one of my favorites, which movie is yours? Please leave a comment below!

Happy Hairdoing!

Ever wanted to try an Oreo Challenge? This is a super fun activity that is perfect for Family Night, and my twins BrooklynAndBailey show you how to run one in the video below. It’s funny to see them try to guess the flavors! Bet you can’t guess which twin won the challenge {click below to see}!

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About Me

What do you get when you cross 34 yrs of living, 14 yrs of marriage, one HOT husband, five adorable daughters, one handsome son, and tons of great family and friends? Pretty much the sum total of who I am!!